New PEW Research Poll Shows Latinos Are Losing Faith In Democrats
The Democratic party is losing influence and support from the Latino community, according to a new poll.
It is this diverse group that could make or break the Democratic party in the upcoming midterm elections.
According to a Pew Research poll that was released this week, and additional information from the Pew Research Hispanic Trends Project, Democrats are losing backing from the Latino community that could help them to win back the House. The research indicates that the Latino community -- male and female, and the younger age groups -- have more of an impact politically for the Democrats in some U.S. states.
The percentage of Latinos backing Democrats has dropped slightly. Today, the Latino community supports the Democratic party by 57 percent, with 28 percent going to the Republicans. In 2010, when the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, the Democrats had maintained support by Latinos with 65 percent, and 22 percent going to Republicans, Fusion.net reported. It was only a drop of 8 percent.
While some could argue that the decrease is small, for some Democrats this could be a sign that could influence their political future.
The Latino community still has sway in some states. In Colorado, Latinos make up 14.2 percent of eligible voters, which is 3.5 percentage points higher than the national average, according to Fusion.net.
The Latino community matters the most. According to the Pew Research Hispanic Trends Project, 25.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote in this year's midterm elections. Latinos have a growing presence and influence, and especially in these Senate and gubernatorial races.
The 25.2 million qualified Latino voters represent a growing increase in the majority. In 2006, the percentage of eligible voters was 8. Then, by 2010, the number rose to 10.1 percent. As of now, the percentage of eligible voters is 11 percent.
There are only a few states that make the Latino vote count. Only eight states make up an average of 4.7 percent of qualified voters. The Latino community has less than five percent of certified voters in six states. Kansas is the only state so far that has Latinos with above 5 percent eligibility, according to the Pew Research Hispanic Trends Project.
Three states matter: in New Mexico, there are 40.1 percent of qualified voters; Texas has 27.4 percent of eligible voters; and in New Jersey 12.8 percent have certified voters.
The amount of eligible voters are U.S. citizens and adults. However, not all of them are registered to vote or even come out to vote. This is in part why the Latino vote matters.
Here is the breakdown of eligible Latino voters in the U.S. states:
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The six states that represent qualified voters are California, Texas, Florida, New York, Arizona and Illinois.
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In New Mexico, they are 40.1 percent of eligible voters, which is the highest. They are followed by Texas, with 27.4 percent; California 26.9 percent; Arizona at 20.3 percent, and Florida with 17.1 percent.
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Since 2006, places near the south have seen a dramatic increase in voter certification: Tennessee is up 113.7 percent, Alabama is up 110.5 percent, and South Carolina is up 126.2 percent.
Here is the breakdown in demographics of Latino voters:
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There are 74 percent of eligible Latino voters who are U.S. born, and 26 percent who are immigrants that have U.S. citizenship.
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Seventeen percent have a Bachelor's degree or more. When comparing it to other demographics, 33 percent of white, 20 percent of African-Americans, and 48 percent of Asians have a Bachelor's degree or higher.
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Among the qualified Latino voters, 60 percent are of Mexican origin, 13 percent are Puerto Rican, 5 percent have Cuban roots, 4 percent are of Dominican descent, and 3 percent are of El Salvadoran origin.
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As of 2014, 33 percent of eligible Latino voters are between the ages of 18 to 29. By comparison, the amount of white certified voters are 18 percent within that age group; also 25 percent of African-Americans, and 21 percent of Asians are in that age demographic.
The research also indicates the waning support of Latinos with Democrats. It has with to do with immigration reform. Fifty-five percent of Latino qualified voters disapprove of the way in which President Barack Obama handled the immigration crisis, Fusion.net reported. But 49 percent approve of Obama's overall performance.
On the subject of Republicans versus Democrats, 35 percent of the Latino community stated that they see no difference between the two parties. Only 10 percent of Latino voters feel that the Republicans care about them. The 10 percent figure has remained unchanged since 2012, Fusion.net reported.
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